A guide for better living through the use of Tarot and related fields. Information includes astrology, numerology, palmistry and rune work as they pertain to Tarot. Card meanings, card reading tips and cards spreads are discussed and a friendly dialogue is always appreciated.

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Sabian Symbols - Post Modernism Meets Astrology

Most of us like our astrology straight up with no chaser. Give us a sign, some planetary influences and we’re good. Oh, and keep us away from the proverbial rabbit hole, because we’re not going in there. However, life gets pretty monotonous when you only consider it from one angle. Ask our friend the Hanged Man. Astrology’s Sabian Symbols give us something new to consider and they are definitely a view from the rabbit hole. The twelve houses, or signs that make up the Zodiac each contain thirty degrees. There is a total of 360 degrees in a circle, or in this case, the wheel of the Zodiac. Sabian Symbols mark every degree of that wheel – all 360 of them.

In 1925, astrologer Marc Edmund Jones teamed up with

One of my Sabian Symbols,
children in Halloween costumes playing pranks

famed clairvoyant, Elsie Wheeler for a day of fun-filled astrological channeling. Before the sun set on their work day, Wheeler had channeled visions symbolizing each degree of the astrological wheel. These symbols, named for ancient Sabian alchemists who lived in Mesopotamia, are not hieroglyphs from a long dead language. They are the phrases Elsie Wheeler used to describe the allegorical images she saw in her visions. Each Sabian Symbol is meant to describe a particular trait, or energy held by a degree within the Zodiac wheel. Sabian Symbols are among the most widely regarded symbols used in astrology.

The Zodiac calendar begins on March 22nd in the first degree of Aries and continues through the year, arriving back at March 21st, at 30 degrees, Pisces. Each day has three Sabian Symbols attached to it. For example,

February 11th contains degrees 21, 22, and 23 of Aquarius. Here are the symbols:

21 - A woman disappointed and disillusioned, courageously facing a

seemingly empty life.

22 - A rug placed on a floor for children to play on.

23 - A big, trained bear sitting down and waiving all it’s paws.

Welcome to the rabbit hole. Random much? If we simply read the Sabian Symbols they do appear disjointed, but if we look at the traits they represent, it becomes another matter entirely. The person of February 11th has the courage to look inside themselves (21) and see past the illusions they’ve constructed in their life. This person understands the framework of a child’s imagination because that creativity, wonder and joy still lives within themselves (22). They may feel stagnated by the confines of their life occasionally (23), but they still find joy in the moment.

Sabian Symbols add a different dimension when you consider astrology. They are intriguing and thought provoking. Read, learn and enjoy the rabbit hole.